Iron On Patches for Easy Baby Clothes Alterations

Iron on patches are a dream for altering and updating baby clothes! If you get gifts that aren't quite your style, hand-me-downs or just want to add something interesting when you have a million plain, white onesies, you can't go wrong with patches! They are easy to apply (not to mention cheap, just a couple bucks each) and the results are professional looking.

Speaking of cheap, if the onesie gets a stain (don't they all) or if your baby outgrows it faster than you can read this article you simply pull off the patch...and put it on another fresh piece of clothing! Your mere $2 investment of a cute patch can go a long way. In fact, I've even been known to use a patch to cover up a stain on a favorite shirt or two. Iron on patches work great on onesies but also on pants, hoodies, blankets and just about anything fabric.

Now speaking of reusing, the elephant patch to the right was taken from a jacket my husband wore when he was a kid! In the '70s! Now it is making the rounds on various clothing items on our son. Yay for vintage and yay for reusing something over and over through the years.

Have you seen those expensive baby onesies in shops with the cute, clever image on the front? Ugh, me too. Remember, they are just plain cheap onesies with a simple image added. This is where your patch comes to the rescue! I mean, just look at the cool, vintage, kitch patches you can get! How cute is that "Nocturnal" one and appropriate for a new baby, too! Many of these I've used over and over.

Methods of Attaching the Patch - There are three methods to attach, sewing, glueing and iron on. Many patches are made to be ironed on and the adhesive is already applied. However, in my experience these rarely work, and when they do it works poorly, lifting up after a wash or two.

Hand stitching is an obvious option, but for all the non-sewers out there, I'd go with Fun Patch Attach, which is a glue that you let set and then iron on. It is non-toxic and really does create a nice, sturdy attachment. You simply glue on the back of the patch, let dry for 10 minutes and then iron onto your fabric.

All of the above patches (with the exception of the vintage elephant one) can be found at this great iron on patches online shop. Browse around, they have great stuff for just a few bucks each! *Please note, I have no affiliation with them, I just like their stuff! (Ahem, patch company owners, please feel free to send me some free patch samples at any time. wink, wink)

You can also find some great patches on eBay (even interesting vintage ones) and of course in your local craft and fabric shop. Have fun searching for some fun items and updating your baby's wardrobe!